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You are defining the quality standards

Submitted by steelproject2012 on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 21:33

You are defining the quality standards for the project to create a new microchip that has the capacity to contain more instructions than any prior chip. You have defined which variables are to be measured. You have also determined what attributes are important to you. Although the product is not expensive, it is expected to bring a steady income stream to the company because it is integral to the production of animmatronic toys and robots which are tremendiously popular.

Which testing method will you use and why?

A: Population testing, because the product is so crucial to the company's success

B: Sample testing, because the cost of population testing is prohibitive

C: Sample testing, because the product is so crucial t the company's success

D: Population testing, because the cost of population testing is prohibitive

Are we supposed to know the difference btw sample & population testing?

Option A: Population testing, because the product is so crucial to the company's successYou can't sit testing each and every microchip this is coming out of the factor, that is just not possible, even if the CEO has billions in stake on it (think AAPL)

Option B: Sample testing, because the cost of population testing is prohibitive

The very reason, we test out few samples and not the whole population is that the population testing just kills the time, needs a lot of effort and cost. So this could be it. Also half of the work is already done - to find the important parameters to test. So you just have to pick one from the batch of 100 and test those parameters out.

Option C: Sample testing, because the product is so crucial t the company's success

If the product is so damm important for the company's success then check each and every microchip this is coming out of the assembly line - which is population testing.

Option D: Population testing, because the cost of population testing is prohibitive

Does "population testing" even exist? Never heard of such a thing. Couldn't find anything on the internet. sspawar, care to explain where the PMBOK describes this term?

Generally speaking, sample testing is less expensive - especially in production environments such as the one described in the caselet. I would pick C, assuming "population testing" is some made up term!

sspawar, OK I concede. Lets assume Statistical Sampling = Population Testing. Could you then explain what is "Sample Testing"? There is no mention of the term "Sample Testing" or "Population Testing" on pg. 198 of PMBOK. PMBOK explicitly uses the term "Statistical Sampling", refering to the process of chosing a part (sample) of the population of interest for inspection.

I understand what you mean to say here. However, I feel this is a poorly worded question and the answer (option C) is not convincing. I do not see how sample testing is "so crucial" to the company's success. The caselet merely says that the product is expected to bring "steady income" to the company. I would go with crushPMP on this one and select option B because it aptly describes the inherent benefit of using statistical sampling as a method of testing.